“This album was a self imposed ambitious project for us. Something to kick in the creative flow. The last few years, having been a challenging time in general, felt like a good time for a pivot. The last two albums were so guitar and keyboard centric, I wanted a weird and fun set of parameters for us to work with. I demo’d everything at home on cassette 4 track (harkening back to simpler times) using drum loops, and just had at it ’til I had a pile of “songs”.
Tom and I chose one sound each using synths and created a range of 3 octaves of that sample, then loaded them into Roland SPD-SX samplers and learned the transcribed songs using drum sticks. The idea was to change the way we wrote and to have 4 people along the front of the stage essentially playing percussion. So no guitar, no keys.
As we were recording I kept thinking how the sounds, when paired up, sounded a bit like brass. So, we added a saxophone horn section to round out the horniness of the sound with a bit of reedy bell tones. Thanks to Cansfis Foote & Brad Caulkins on tenor and Baritone saxophones 🙂
Sort of a Dexy’s Midnight Runners meets Von LMO meets The Flesh Eaters meets the Screamers kinda punk junk.
Poppy and hooky, heavy at times..
Sort of vacuous and maybe a bit sci-fi in sound.
Boneheaded in riff and heady in lyrics.
Recorded at Stu-Stu-Studio by me on 8 track 1/4” tape .
So pretty hot and raw.
Lots to write about today.
A lot of these lyrics were taken from things people said in passing about taking on life right now that stuck with me.
Things that made me reflect.
Things that made me laugh.
Things that made me WTF.
Some folks are kind, genuine & give you love and energy.
Some are greedy manipulative ghouls who hang off your veins.
You must be strong, composed and take care of yourself.
Be self aware and check your mind for cracks.
Learn to relax and be well.
There are moments of beauty and redemption.
Its not all bad news and there’s always hope.
People continue to surprise me one way or another.
Anyhow,
Hope you enjoy and good luck out there.”
– John Dwyer
Tour Dates
| Date | Details | Venue | City | With | Tickets | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/15/25 |
|
Long Beach, California |
Diode, DJ Nick at Nite
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| 07/18/25 |
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Oakland, California | |||||||||
| 07/19/25 |
|
Mosswood Meltdown
|
Oakland, California | ||||||||
| 09/03/25 |
|
Star Theater
|
Portland, Oregon | ||||||||
| 09/04/25 |
|
Star Theater
|
Portland, Oregon | ||||||||
| 09/05/25 |
|
Seattle, Washington | |||||||||
| 09/06/25 |
|
Seattle, Washington | |||||||||
| 09/08/25 |
|
Boise, Idaho | |||||||||
| 09/09/25 |
|
Salt Lake City, Utah | |||||||||
| 09/10/25 |
|
Denver, Colorado | |||||||||
| 09/12/25 |
|
Las Vegas, Nevada | |||||||||
| 10/17/25 |
|
Austin, Texas | |||||||||
| 10/18/25 |
|
Austin, Texas | |||||||||
| 10/19/25 |
|
Dallas, Texas | |||||||||
| 10/20/25 |
|
Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas | |||||||||
| 10/22/25 |
|
Deluxe at Old National Centre
|
Indianapolis, Indiana | ||||||||
| 10/25/25 |
|
Brooklyn, New York | |||||||||
| 10/26/25 |
|
Brooklyn, New York | |||||||||
| 10/29/25 |
|
Chicago, Illinois | |||||||||
| 10/30/25 |
|
Chicago, Illinois | |||||||||
| 11/02/25 |
|
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma | |||||||||
| 11/04/25 |
|
Santa Fe, New Mexico | |||||||||
| 11/05/25 |
|
Phoenix, Arizona |
News
Ten Tour Tips from John Dwyer of OSEES
Bandcamp
As far as playing live and touring goes, Dwyer’s decades of experience automatically qualify him to give advice. I almost have to tell him this directly, since he reflexively doubts his own authority—“Who the fuck am I to talk?”—and immediately checks his established act privilege: nightly hotels, a comfortable sprinter van, a merch person. Eventually he doubles back, reassuring us both that he can give advice since the comparative luxury Osees now enjoy was earned over years of touring. “I have been there, sleeping on the floor and waking up with cat litter stuck to my face,” he muses. “So I can speak.”
Watch OSEES’ play their new album ‘SORCS 80’ live on top of a skyscraper in LA
Brooklyn Vegan
OSEES released their 28th album SORCS 80 last week. It’s unusual in their discography in that there are no guitars on the album, with two synth samples being the only sounds other than bass, drums and frontman John Dwyer’s vocals. It’s a terrific mutant punk record and today they’ve shared a video of them playing the album in full on a helipad atop a skyscraper in DTLA. Directed by Delaney Schenker, it’s pretty awesome and you can watch the whole thing below.
Listen to OSEES’ no-guitars synth-punk album ‘SORCS 80’
Brooklyn Vegan
SORCS 80 hits you upside the head from the first second of opening volley “Look at the Sky,” and you are barely given a chance to get your bearings before being pummeled again. So it goes for the whole shebang that leaves you punchdrunk and giddy. This is OSEES‘ 28th full-length and following last year’s immediate, near-poppy Intercepted Message, he’s devolved the band’s sound, diving into the primordial ooze for an album of bashing caveman punk. Albeit one with NO GUITARS, and only two two synth sounds in their place.
Osees Discuss the Pared-Down Synth-Punk of SORCS 80
Flood
Basically I wrote the demos at home using a synthesizer. I did it on a four-track cassette, which was really fun. Every song was just drum loops, bass, keys, and vocals. One day, me and Tom [Dolas, keyboards] sat down and picked a sound each. I picked a thin, aggressive tone and he picked a more round one with less attack. Then we took those tones and ran them into Pro Tools and into a three-octave keyboard. Then we loaded the songs I’d written into these Roland SPD-SX’s so we could play them like drums, but tonally. The idea initially was that all four of us could be on stage playing them, with Tim Hellman holding down bass guitar. There is bass on the record, but I’m not playing guitar. I originally wanted Tim to play sampler, but we ran out of time for this stupid idea we were running with. But it was interesting to write an entire record using just one sound, but affecting it with guitar amplification.
Osees’ John Dwyer – orchestrator of distortion
Hero Magazine
“Playing live is this visceral, cathartic event. It might as well be like you’re playing a game of football, chess or whatever. It’s not the same as writing and rehearsing, you have a crowd, you have interactions with other people”
OSEES – “Intercepted Message”
Stereogum
“Rich Homie Quan talked the talk, but John Dwyer walks the walk: The man will never stop going in. The prolific underground rock legend stayed busy with a zillion improvisational side projects during the pandemic, and it didn’t stop him from releasing a new album with main band OSEES last year. Now — on the release date of the new Live At Levitation — he’s already following up A Foul Form with Intercepted Message, another new OSEES LP”
SXSW 2023 Announces 301 More Artists Including Osees, Be Your Own Pet, Enumclaw, & The Zombies
Stereogum
“In October, SXSW 2023 (taking place this year from March 13-18) announced its initial wave of performers. Now, the Austin fest’s music portion has shared another giant round of performers (301, to be exact), including …. the recently reunited Be Your Own Pet, OSEES…”
Rough Trade names its Albums of 2022
Brooklyn Vegan
“Check out both Top 20s below and head to Rough Trade US and Rough Trade UK for their full Top 100s”
SXSW adds 301 artists to 2023 lineup (The Zombies, OSEES, Be Your Own Pet, more)
Brooklyn Vegan
SXSW has announced 301 more artists for its 2023 edition which goes down March 13-18, 2023 in Austin. Additions include The Zombies, OSEES, Be Your Own Pet, Catbite, The Lemon Twigs, Warmduscher, Palehound, Party Dozen, We Are The Union, JER, Kill Lincoln, Cheekface, Enumclaw, Adwaith, Obongjayar, Aoife Nessa Frances, Thor & Friends, Chickasaw Mudd Puppies, Death Valley Girls, Dream Wife, Fake Fruit, Gay Meat, July Talk , Girl Scout, Jessica Winter, Patrick Holland, THICK, Bella White, Garrett T. Capps & NASA Country, Mariel Buckley, Pendant, Snooper, and more.
OSEES share “Scum Show” video & KEXP session, announce UK tour
Brooklyn Vegan
“OSEES have shared a video for “Scum Show” from this year’s very punk A Foul Form. Directed by Malo Sutra Fish on a Super 8 camera with hand processing and animation by l’Etna Collective Lab, the video is as raw and visceral as the song itself. You can watch that below.
The band have also shared the video of their recent KEXP session which has John Dwyer and crew blazing through tracks off the new album — watch that below as well”
Tour news: OSEES, Night Birds, Ty Segall, Bayside, more
Brooklynvegan
“John Dwyer and the rest of the OSEES are in Austin this weekend, playing all four nights of Levitation fest, and have holiday shows in NYC in December (Brooklyn Made on 12/16 & 12/17). After that they’ll head to Australia in February for six shows”
“Having already toured with Freedom Band earlier this year, Ty Segall will begin his solo acoustic tour on November 4 in Portland. The first part of the tour is with Emmett Kelly, while East Coast shows — including Brooklyn’s Music Hall of Williamsburg on November 15 — are with Charles Moothart. He’ll head to Australia and New Zealand in the new year”
OSEES playing more Brooklyn shows in December
Brooklynvegan
“OSEES were just in Brooklyn over the weekend for three shows, and they’ve now announced they’ll be back in December to play two nights at Brooklyn Made on 12/16 and 12/17. Psychic Graveyard open the 12/16 show and Tea Eater open the 12/17 show.
You can get tickets early for the Brooklyn Made shows with the BrooklynVegan presale that runs Wednesday, September 28 at 10 AM through Thursday (9/29) at 10 AM. If you miss out on our presale, tickets go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 30 at 10 AM”.
Osees Drop Particularly & Visceral & Intense Performance at Chicago’s Thalia Hall (SHOW REVIEW)
Glide Magazine
“Booking a two-night residency in Chicago at the same time Riot Fest is going on down the street might be considered a bold move for some punk bands. But when your band happens to be venerable psych-punk legends the Osees, such concerns really need not apply”
Osees, May 15, 2021, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
Coloradist
‘Los Angeles garage psych punk purveyors Osees rolled in to Red Rocks Amphitheatre Saturday May 15th for a one-off show to one of the last pandemic-limited crowds of the early 2021 season. Threatening weather moved out of the area just in time, leaving clear skies and perfect temperatures for the sold out, pandemic-limited* crowd.’
Osees Plot Fall 2021 North American Tour; Auction Werewolf Rug For Charity
Brooklyn Vegan
Osees Announce Two New Albums, Share New Songs: Listen
Pitchfork
“…Osees (an iteration of Oh Sees) just released their new album Protean Threat on September 18, and they’ve already announced two more records that are coming soon. One is the Protean Threat remix album Panther Rotate, which is out December 11 via Castle Face…”
Oh Sees Announce North American Tour
Pitchfork
Oh Sees have announced a September tour of North America. The band, joined on the road by Mr. Elevator, will play 18 shows that month. The North American shows follow spring and summer stops in the United Kingdom and Europe, as well as a May 9 benefit show in Los Angeles to support Elizabeth House and the East Los Angeles Women’s Center.
Oh Sees map North American tour with Mr. Elevator
Brooklyn Vegan
The wildly prolific Oh Sees haven’t released an album since August (the jazzy Face Stabber) so they are probably due for an announcement sooner than later. In the meantime, they’ve announced a North American tour which will have them out with Mr. Elevator in September. Dates kick off with two nights in San Francisco and include stops Portland, Seattle, Chicago, Cleveland, Toronto, Providence, NYC, Philadelphia, Carrboro, Atlanta, Austin and Albuquerque.
OH SEES ANNOUNCE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES
Glide Magazine
Oh Sees have announced a run of fall North American tour dates. Throughout the month of September, the band will be performing in 18 dates across the U.S. and Canada. In addition to the September tour, Oh Sees will be performing on a UK run of dates in May and a European tour this July. More information is available below and tickets go on sale this Friday, February 14th.
Oh Sees Dedicate “Captain Loosely” Video to Victims of the El Paso Massacre
Flood Magazine
As always, there’s a new Oh Sees record coming out soon—and, as always, we still have no idea what to expect even after a handful of tracks have been released. The first three singles on the massive double LP range from jazz fusion to garage punk, with the band helpfully describing the album as “SoundCloud hip-hop reversed, a far-flung nemesis of contemporary country and flaccid algorithmic pop-barf.”
Oh Sees – “Captain Loosely” Video
Stereogum
Next week, Oh Sees are releasing a new album, Face Stabber. The prolific band has shared a handful of tracks from it already, including “Henchlock,” “Poisoned Stones,” and “Heartworm,” and today they’re back with another one, “Captain Loosely,” a squelching instrumental that feels surprisingly meditative and spacey for the band.
Oh Sees dedicate new single “Captain Loosely” to victims of El Paso mass shooting
The Line of Best Fit
Californian psych-rockers Oh Sees have shared their intense new single “Captain Loosely”, which is dedicated to the victims of the El Paso mass shooting.
Oh Sees dedicate new video to victims of El Paso shooting
Brooklyn Vegan
Oh Sees have made a video for “Captain Loosely” which is from their upcoming album, Face Stabber (which is out next week). The video was directed by Matt Yoka and shot on the U.S./Mexico border in Texas, and they’ve dedicated it to the victims of the August 3 El Paso mass shooting.
OH SEES: “We’re not out there to appease anyone”
Uncut
In the current issue of Uncut – in shops now or available to buy online by clicking here – we look back at Oh Sees’ fluid discography and chart their move from acoustic noise experimentation through garage rock and beyond, to the heavier and hairier directions of last year’s hard-grooving Smote Reverser.
“We have been around for 20-something years, so if we haven’t done something that somebody might like at some point…” laughs Oh Sees’ John Dwyer. “Fuck, yeah. We’ve got quite a bit. And there’s more to come, as far as I can tell.
Oh Sees Announce World Tour
Spin
Oh Sees have announced a sprawling 43-date world tour. The band will kick things off in early May in Atlanta before heading to the UK and Ireland for the remainder of that month. They’ll play a handful of dates across the rest of Europe until September, when they’ll return to the North America for shows in the US and Canada; Prettiest Eyes will join Oh Sees for select dates on this leg. The tour is set to close out in LA on Halloween night. Last summer, Oh Sees released Smote Reverser, which featured the excellent “Anthemic Aggressor.” Find the full list of tour dates below.
OH SEES ANNOUNCE MASSIVE WORLD TOUR
DIY Magazine
Fresh from a slew of shows out in Austin for this year’s SXSW, Oh Sees have announced a massive world tour that stretches across the rest of the year.
John Dwyer and co will begin the tour at Shaky Knees festival in Atlanta in early May, before heading to the UK and Ireland, taking in a host of European dates before returning to the States in the Autumn.
Oh Sees Announce 2019 Tour
http://pitchfork.com/thepitch/817-shake-appeals-best-of-summer-2015-list/
Oh Sees (formerly known as Thee Oh Sees) have announced a massive 43-date tour. The trek kicks off on May 3 in Atlanta and stops in various locations across the UK and Europe before returning Stateside at the end of September. The band will play shows in San Francisco, Chicago, Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Austin, and more before wrapping up in Los Angeles on Halloween. Check out Oh Sees’ full itinerary below.
Oh Sees’ John Dwyer talks touring, ‘Smote Reverser,’ soup, snow & more in BV Q&A
Brooklyn Vegan
John Dwyer is never not busy. When he’s not touring non-stop or making records with Oh Sees (like this year’s awesome Smote Reverser), he’s got his solo project Damaged Bug, and the label he runs, Castle Face, that puts out a dozen or so records a year. He’s slowing things down just a bit this weekend when he brings his pastoral, folky OCS collaboration with onetime Oh See Brigid Dawson and a string section to Brooklyn’s Murmrr Theatre on Saturday (12/15).
Oh Sees share the Origins of their video for “Enrique El Cobrador”
Consequence of Sound
Origins is a new music feature that gives an artist the chance to reveal the influences behind their latest effort.
The 10 Best Garage Punk Songs As of Late
Pitchfork
Evan Minsker of Pitchfork shares a list of his favorite recent garage and punk releases.
Billboard Talks With John Dwyer About Upcoming Album “Smote Reverser”
Billboard
“With 21 full-lengths, eight EPs, two live albums, four compilations, and at least a dozen seven-inches released over the last 21 years, there’s a lot to talk about when it comes to garage-psych outfit Oh Sees (also known as Thee Oh Sees).”
SPIN Reviews New Oh Sees Single “Overthrown”
Spin
“First single “Overthrown” jams a dose of heavy metal skull-crushery into Oh Sees’ typically frenetic style, and the latest album’s cover art leans further into the theme with a painting of a dragon looming over a burning city. It looks like the cover of a fantasy novel, which coincidentally is artist Matt Stawicki’s main gig.”
Pitchfork Premieres Oh Sees’ New Single “Overthrown”
Pitchfork
“The ever-prolific Oh Sees are back with a new album this summer. It’s titled Smote Reverser, and it arrives August 17 via Castle Face.”
LA Times names “Memory of a Cut-Off Head” one of the 30 essential LA records of 2017
Los Angeles Times
Which is to say, is there too much recorded music in the world? Yes. Is most of it forgettable? Certainly. Below are 30 albums, alphabetically arranged, by Los Angeles-area artists issued this year that deserve your investment.
Leather daddies and jazz: a beginner’s guide to garage-rock hero John Dwyer
The Guardian
My motto is: try everything, life is short,” says John Dwyer, the leader of San Francisco garage rockers Thee Oh Sees. “We are growing at every turn. Every day you get a little older, a little closer to the grave – you should taste it all.
Rolling Stone interviews John Dwyer about upcoming album and more
Rolling Stone
As his band releases its 20th album, the prolific musician and label head explains how ‘D&D’ and a “zen” work ethic fuel his underground empire
WTF podcast with Marc Maron, episode 862: JOHN DWYER
WTF Pod
Whether you call his band Thee Oh Sees, Oh Sees, or OCS, there’s no denying John Dwyer’s prolific musical output.
Oh Sees’ John Dwyer Joins Marc Maron on “WTF” Podcast: Listen
Pitchfork
Oh Sees’ John Dwyer was the latest guest on Marc Maron’s “WTF” podcast. The conversation covers Dwyer’s prolific career and his influences.
Hear Marc Maron Interview Oh Sees’ John Dwyer On WTF
Stereogum
John Dwyer, the frenetically prolific frontman of Thee Oh Sees and all the band’s verious mutations (Oh Sees, OCS) joined Maron in his garage to talk about garage rock.
Video: Oh Sees – “Nite Expo”
Spin Magazine
Of the video, frontman John Dwyer said in a statement: “Animation and role-playing games were a huge part of my youth, so I was really excited to work on this with Alex Theodoropulos and make a fun Halloween video that harkens back to the real simple times.
Oh Sees share Halloween video for “Nite Expo,” playing shows w/ Ty Segall
Brooklyn Vegan
Just in time for Halloween, Oh Sees have a spooky/scary animated video for “Nite Expo” from this year’s Orc. Hand-drawn and animated by Alex Theodoropulos, the video plays off some of frontman John Dwyer’s childhood loves.
Oh Sees – “Nite Expo” Video
Stereogum
Thee Oh Sees, or Oh Sees, or OCS, or whatever John Dwyer is calling his band these days, have a new album coming out next month. But today, they’re looking back to this summer’s LP Orc with a colorful animated video for “Nite Expo” from director Alex Theodoropulos.
Oh Sees’ John Dwyer: 21st Century Renaissance Man
Premier Guitar
John Dwyer, the guitarist and lead singer for Oh Sees (formerly Thee Oh Sees), makes a good case for the argument that the best decade for making music is right now.
“Memory of a Cut Off Head” single review
Pitchfork
On the album’s opening, title track, Dwyer sounds every bit as at ease as he did over the wild Richter-scale energy of his recent records.
Henry Rollins interviews John Dwyer in Esquire
Esquire
“…I’ve done my best to keep up with the man’s output, but he doesn’t make it easy: his releases just don’t let up. I have a great deal of admiration for not only John’s music but for the intensity with which he pursues it. In that way, he is a true artist, one who’s never taken the easy route.”
Pitchfork gives Oh Sees new album, “Orc” a 7.4
Pitchfork TV
“Throughout the record, he sounds as eager to mess around with his singing as the music: the glorious, steamrolling sludge of “Animated Violence” is the closest Oh Sees have ever gotten to metal, with Dwyer dropping comically Gene Simmons-esque growls in between gleaming Thin Lizzy arpeggios.”
Paste Magazine loves Oh Sees new album, “Orc”
Paste Magazine
“..the record is an absolutely evil stunner from front to back, top to bottom, head to toes and everywhere in between, and whips up the same kind of radiant, strange awe that the band’s overdriven catalog has so generously perpetrated album after wicked album.”
Post Trash reviews Oh Sees new album “Orc”
Post Trash
“…as evinced by the reduction-of-band-name and its terse title, Orc aims to cut the fat off last years’ trial runs and introduce the new Oh Sees thesis as yet another Phlegethon of shrieking Gibsons and yelping Dwyers now aiming to fill observatories rather than dive bars.”
Consequence of Sound debuts Oh Sees new song, “Animated Violence”
Consequence of Sound
“…Oh Sees rally on the blistering cut, whose scissoring guitars are sure to lodge themselves deep inside your brain.”
Thee Oh Sees Announce North American Tour
Pitchfork
Thee Oh Sees have announced a tour. They’ll hit the road later this month at Norman Music Festival in Oklahoma and tour Europe through the summer, before wrapping up with a series of North American dates in September.
Assets
